The Minister of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development, Sadiya Umar Farouq, has said that 3,000 rural women selected form all the Local Government Areas of Kogi state are to benefit from the Federal Government Special Grant for Rural Women Project.
According to a statement on Tuesday by the Deputy Director Information, Rhoda Ishaku Iliya, Farouq disclosed this at the flag off ceremony of the programme in Lokoja, Kogi State.
Represented by the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry, Bashir Nura Alkali, the Minister implored the women to make good use of the money in lifting themselves out of poverty.
She said: “Our target in kogi State is to disburse the grant to about 3,000 beneficiaries across all Local Government Councils. The grant is expected to increase income and productive assets of target beneficiaries. It is our hope that the beneficiaries of this programme will make good use of the grant to generally contribute towards improving their living standard by using the fund as seed to boost their trade and business for greater income and not to see it as their own share of the so-called national cake.
“We believe with the complementary effort of the State Government, the target beneficiaries will all be adequately covered within the next few days. I am optimistic that with the support and cooperation of Your Excellency and other stakeholders present here, we will remain on track to improving the livelihood of the ordinary Nigerians.”
In a similar development, the Minister acknowledged immense contribution of the Governor of Kogi state, Yahaya Bello, the State Executive Council and the state’s focal person in actualising the success of the programme during the courtesy visit to the office of the Deputy Governor of the State, Chief Edward David.
The governor of Kogi state, represented by the deputy governor, Edward Onoja, expressed his gratitude to President Muhammadu Buhari and the Minister for consistently breaching the gap between the rich and poor over the past five years through the various National Social Investment Programmes, such as Government Enterprise Empowerment Programme, Conditional Cash Transfer, National Home Grown School Feeding Programme, the N-Power and the Special Grant for Rural Women Project.
He said with the 3000 beneficiaries, vulnerable women involved in small scale businesses will be greatly impacted financially.
He urged the beneficiaries and everyone present to pray for the President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration and our leaders.
Also the Kogi State Focal Person for National Social Investment Programme, Prince Abdulkareem Suleiman, said poverty eradication is a major objective of this administration and pledged to support the Minister in her determination to improve the livelihood of women in the state.
A beneficiary of the cash grant, Miss Christopher Queen Odede, thanked President Buhari for the grant and promised to use the money judiciously.
The Chairman, People Living with Disabilities (PWDs) in Kogi state, said before the administration of President Muhammadu Buhari, PWDs were neglected, “but today the President has given them a voice and people have began to see ability in disability.”
He called on the federal government to provide enabling environment for the PWDs to showcase their abilities.
